Comelec: No 'ex-deals' with celebs for voters’ education endorsements

While admitting it needs star power to improve its voters’ education efforts, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is not keen on tapping celebrities with probable violations of election law for endorsing candidates in the May polls. Comelec legal department head Ferdinand Rafanan said the Comelec is not considering having "exchange deals" with such public figures who may be charged for violating Republic Act 9006 or the Fair Elections Act. “E, pangit po. Hindi porke’t sila ay tumulong, kung kapalit naman ay ang di pagpaparusa sa paglabag sa batas (That will be improper. We cannot allow celebrities to help our voters’ education efforts if they do so to evade possible prosecution from violating the law)," Rafanan said in an interview on dzXL radio. He added the Comelec cannot afford more blows to its credibility, especially with the elections just three months away. Some Comelec officials such as Virgilio Garcillano and Lintang Bedol had been linked to scandals involving poll fraud. Garcillano, former Comelec commissioner, figured in alleged massive poll fraud – the so-called “Hello Garci" controversy in the 2004 presidential elections. The "Hello, Garci" mess refers to the alleged wiretapped conversations between President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and former commissioner Garcillano wherein the rigging of the May 2004 polls to benefit her were supposedly discussed. “Ang Comelec ay bumabangon lalo lugmok sa nakaraang iskandalo (The Comelec is trying to regain its credibility from past scandals)," he said. Under Section 6.6 of the Fair Elections Act, “Any mass media columnist, commentator announcer, reporter, on-air correspondent or personality who is a candidate for any elective public office or is a campaign volunteer for or employed or retained in any capacity by any candidate or political party shall be deemed resigned, if so required by their employer, or shall take a leave of absence from his/her work as such during the campaign period: Provided, That any media practitioner who is an official of a political party or a member of the campaign staff of a candidate or political party shall not use his/her time or space to favor any candidate or political party." On the other hand, Rafanan said the Comelec can afford to tap star power for its voters education as it has some P4 billion from savings in the automated election budget, and may spend it on voters’ education. “Ang savings natin sa automated budget P4 billion. Marami tayong gagastusin para magtagumpay (Our savings from the automated budget amount to P4 billion. We can afford to spend to make the automated polls a success)," he said. He added celebrities who have not endorsed candidates and are offering their services will be welcome. Meanwhile, Rafanan said party-list groups must help out, too, by going to the grassroots level to educate voters on the automated polls. “Sa dami nila, dapat maraming nakakaalam(if the party-list groups are really doing their job … their sheer number would be a big help to the poll body's education efforts at the grassroots level," he said. — LBG, GMANews.TV